Moving to New Jersey from New Zealand
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New Zealand to New Jersey — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New Zealand to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 54.6% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly $114,000 in New Jersey to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is New Jersey cheaper than New Zealand?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 35.0% more
Groceries
pay 48.6% more
Transportation
pay 1.8% more
Housing
pay 2.1 times more
Childcare
pay 97.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 35.1% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in New Jersey?
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,000 → $114,000
To maintain the same standard of living in New Jersey
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in New Jersey cost about 55% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to New Jersey
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from New Zealand to New Jersey, based on official data.
people moved from New Zealand to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
93.49,640
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Zealand to New Jersey.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
New Jersey performs significantly better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New Zealand performs better than New Jersey across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
New Jersey performs significantly better than New Zealand across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
New Zealand performs better than New Jersey across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in New Jersey vs New Zealand
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Auckland | Newark |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) | 48°/27°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) | 76°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 58°/36°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Auckland | Newark |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) | 42°/24°F (5.6°/-4.4°C) |
| Feb | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) | 46°/26°F (7.7°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) | 55°/32°F (12.7°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) | 67°/42°F (19.4°/5.3°C) |
| May | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) | 85°/61°F (29.5°/16.3°C) |
| Jul | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) | 88°/66°F (31.2°/18.8°C) |
| Aug | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) | 87°/65°F (30.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) | 80°/57°F (26.5°/14.0°C) |
| Oct | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) | 69°/45°F (20.4°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) | 58°/36°F (14.2°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) | 46°/28°F (7.8°/-2.2°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Can you move from New Zealand to New Jersey?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Jersey than New Zealand?
No — New Jersey is on average about 55% more expensive than New Zealand. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to New Jersey?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $28,500 in New Jersey on a NZ$130,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from New Jersey?
Usually fine from major cities in New Jersey. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to New Zealand?
New Jersey performs significantly better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New Jersey compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Newark is 67°F, compared to 66°F in Auckland. Newark receives around 46.2 in of rainfall per year, while Auckland gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in New Jersey?
The official language in New Jersey is English. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
